Photographic printing apparatus



Jan. 9, 1951 R. D. PRICE ET Al. 2,537,548

PHo'roGRAPHIc PRINTING APPARATUS v Filed April 14, 1947 2SheetsSheet lEa F 1 poss D. 2DR/c5 v@wma-LL pR/CE IN VEN TORS Jan. 9, 1951 R. D.PRICE ET Al. 2,537,548

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS Filed April 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W,7 poss @.PR/CE RUSSELL 5. IDR/CE "'f INVENToRs Patented Jan. 9, 1951UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE P-HOT'GRAPHIC PRINTING APPARATUS .Ross.D.BriceandRussell S.Price, Decatur, Ill.

Application April 14, 1947, ySerial No. 741,192

3 AClaims.

Our invention has for its object to provide a photographic 'printer for.the production vof 'outline copies or silhouettes of flat objects 'suchas pattern templates, or master patterns used in the clothing 'industrywhich Yare laid out vin the rst instance 'by the clothing designers,exact copies of which vare required for use `on the .shop cuttingtables.

vAnother object of our invention resides .-in the provision of a copyholding table on which a set of master ldesigns maybe secured, inconjunction with means located at one end .of the table for theconvenient handling of a continuous supply Vof paper suitably sensitizedtoenable lengths `thereof to be withdrawn across the-table `and'over thepattern :layout -so that its photographic surxface will Jrecord the.outlines rof theseveral .pat- Itern pieces when lexposed `to *.the:action of .light rays.

Our invention further `comprehends `a table having `a transparent topcomposed .of .upper .and vlovverpanes of glass between 'which l.thetemplate patternp'ieces -are assembled and held-against-disyplacementvwith means -for `mounting ladjaaent thereto a supply "of -suitablevpaper Lto'getl'l'er with means for automatically coating its lower sidewith alight sensitive solution fand drying the surface as the paper isdrawn forwardly fever the table, 4Whereby a fresh photographic area isprepared to receive the silhouette recordings upon successive exposures.

To these vvand `other ends our `invention comprises further improvementsAand advantages as will be further described in the accompanyingspecification, Lthe vnovel features thereof being set `forth intheappended claims,

Inthe drawings:

Figure l .is .a plan view -of a machine `constructed in .accordance with-our invention.

lFigure 2 is a sideeleva'tion .partly .in section to show .thejpapercoating and treating mechanism.

Figure 3 is anelevational View of the :left hand end of the machineshown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the cover for the .roll sectionof the machine.

Figure 5 is an -enlarged Vdetail sectional view taken on the line-5 5 ofFig. 1.

Figure 6 Iis a perspective vievvof a photographic copying machineembodying our invention.

Figure '7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line'I--l of Fig. .1, and

Figure 8 is a sectional view of one of the paper guide rolls.

Similar reference numerals, in the several figures, indicate similarparts.

iIn the clothing industry the master designers upon originating vnevvdesigns for suits, dresses and other Yarticles of clothing Vlay out aseries of 'patterns which others follow in first cutting the .cl-othAand subsequently in producing the iinished garments. In the :massproduction of clothing :many copies `of the master patterns are requiredland the reproduction of these has long 'been a problem in the industry.This has been especially so because of the :necessity of accuratelyfollowing the pattern outline. lt has been customary to make .duplicatesby tracing around. the edges of the several pieces and then cuttingaround the edges of the tracing. This often damages the originals andinaccuracies often occur in the reproduction of other copies and .itwill be readily appreciated that the design .of a garment, ora Wholeline of garments as they are eventually completed, might materiallydiier vfrom the master `design should one or more original patternpieces be destroyed'by a careless operator and imperfect coples thereofbe substituted. Our invention aims to preserve the master patterns andassure the rapid rreproduction of exact `duplicates by a method we haveadopted in conjunction With .an apparatus for photographically printingsilhouettes of the several patterns which go to make up a singlegarment, which can be .subsequently cut out of the sheet by merelyfollowing the outline of the printed picture.

For the accomplishment of the forego-ing objects we have designed aYprinting table having an open rectangular top frame comprising sidesIll-II and ends I2--I3 reinforced by .the underlying side .and end railsI4 and I5 and supported at its .corners on legs I6. The opening in thetable top is closed by a plate YIl .of glass which is rmly held in placeby a surrounding molding I8 which may be formed by rabbeting the top 0fthe frame. A `glass cover plate I9, which serves as a backing for theplate I'I and cooperates therewith to create a copy holder, is connectedto one of the'side rails, such as Ill, by apiano hinge 2t. One leaf ofthis hinge is permanently connected to the rail by a series of screws`2| While the other leaf is bolted to theedge of the `cover glass, asin- .dicated by 22 .in Fig. 7. From this arrangement of the parts itwill be seen that by opening the cover plate I 9, by lifting its freeedge, as shown in Fig. .6, a complete layout of master patterns can 'bearranged on the plate Il. Such a layout is indicated in rpart in Fig. 1where certain pattern pieces are designated by 23. These are made ofpaper which is sufficiently :opaque `to-.interrupt the light rays fromlamps, which are .indicated generally in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Theyare in sufficient number and wattage with suitable reflectors and arelocated far enough away from the layout and cover plates to direct aflood light of substantially parallel rays upon the objects being copiedto avoid halation and resultant fringing in the prints. The lamps are,as will be understood, in a circuit which may be momentarily switched onand off.

At one end of the photographic table we locate the paper supply with itssensitizing and drying mechanism all of which is carried on av base 24adjacent the table legs, having side pieces in which the ends of variousrolls are journaled. At the outer edge of the base are a pair of pillars25 which serve to carry the end of the arbor for a roll 26 of paper. Thelatter preferably has an inner surface suitably processed to receive alight sensitive coating, or if desired it may be a roll of sensitizedpaper and a hood, as shown in dotted lines at X, in Fig. 2, said hoodbeing employed to protect the paper against premature exposure. However,for greater convenience in use, in view of the nature of the shops wherethe app-aratus is generally used we have found in practice thatsatisfactory results can be accomplished by applying the sensitizingmaterial directly to the paper as it is unwound or drawn off the roll.

To this end we mount on the base 24 a tank or tray 2l for holding asuitable chemical solution and in cooperation therewith employ a coatingroll 28 across which the paper is drawn beneath a companion presser roll29. Located inwardly and above these rolls are a pair of squeezing rolls30-3I which serve to remove excess moisture and following these arestaggered drying rolls :i2- 33. The latter preferably have absorbentsurfaces and the last roll over which the paper passes is located withits exit edge parallel to and below the proximate end of the table whichis rounded, as indicated at 34 to facilitate the movement of the paperthereacross as it is drawn forwardly by pulling its free end.

At the far end of the table there is provided a suitable paper clamp.This we make of sheet metal having a downwardly extending flange 35,equal in length to the full width of the paper, pivoting it, asindicated at 35, and operating it into clamping position against the endrail of the table by a spring 31. Extensions 38 at the ends of the platefacilitate its release as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The several rolls around which the paper passes are carried in suitableanti-friction journal boxes mounted on the side pieces 39-40 of thebase. The latter together with the side pieces and connecting baci;board 4| are constructed of metal, and form a cabinet which fits againstthe end of the table. The front of the cabinet is normally closed by aremovable cover, shaped as shown in Fig. 4, which ts against theinturned edge anges Sta- Mia of the side pieces and is latched in placeby providing at its lower end ears 42 provided with embossures ordimples 43 which snap over small projections 44 on the side pieces. Atits upper end the cover is held in position by downwardly extending ears45 which fit into recesses at the upper ends of flanges ta-40a. Theupper extremity of the cover is positioned slightly above the curvededge 34 of the table to permit the free exit of the paper and at itslower end it is curled outwardly, as indicated at 46 and terminates inline with the meeting plane of the rolls 28-29 shortly paper isstretched over the table top and secured by the clamp 35 that it lies inclose contact with the cover glass I9 and is thus devoid of wrinkles sothat sharp images are reproduced on its sensitized surface. When themomentary exposure to the active rays of the flood lights below thetable has been completed the exposed area of the paper is submittedeither to a fixing bath, or washed, as the case may be, depending uponthe chemical composition of the sensitizing material employed, as willbe understood.

It is to be understood that certain changes in the structure andarrangement of the device may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention and what we claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A photographic printer comprising a table having an open top framehaving a rounded edge at one side, a transparent layout plate for copysubjects spanning the frame opening, a transparent cover plate overlyingthe first mentioned plate, a hinge connection between the edge of coverplate and table top extending at right angles to said rounded edge, acabinet in front of the latter located below the top of the tablecomprising a. platform, side walls, a back wall and a removable closuresupported on the side walls, a tray for photographic chemicals withinthe cabinet, a coating roller in the tray and pairs of squeegee anddrying rolls journaled in side walls of the cabinet, a support for aroll of paper mounted on said platform exterior of the cabinet saidpaper having its free end passing from the support through the cabinetin successive engagement with the coating roll, the squeegee and dryingrolls, to the rounded edge of the table, and

beyond and over the last mentioned transparent cover plate.

2. A photographic printing apparatus for making photographic sllnouettesincluding an open top table, a transparent plate mounted on said tableand completely covering the opening therein, a second transparent platehingedly connected to said table so as to be moved into and out ofcovering relation with respect to the rst named plate whereby an objectto be photographed mai be received therebetween, a platform secured tosaid table below the top thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, apair of spaced standards carried by said platform spaced from saidtable, a photographic chemical receiving tray mounted on the platformbetween the standards and the table, spaced mounting means carried bythe tray, a coating roll in the tray, a coacting presser rollthereabove, a pair of coacting squeegee rolls and a pair of drying rollscarried by said mounting means respectively between the standards andthe proximate edge of the table top, a supply roll of paper mountedbetween the standards, the free edge of said paper passing successivelybetween the coating and presser rolls, the squeegee rells and dryingrolls and across the uppermost movable transparent plate, and a sourceof light beneath the flrst named transparent plate.

3. A photographic printing apparatus for making photographicsilhouettes, in accordance with claim 2, wherein the several rolls aremounted so as to tension the paper passing therebetween and whereinthere is means carried by the table top to maintain the free end of thepaper in engage-V ment with the top surface of the second namedtransparent plate during exposure of the paper to the light source.

ROSS D. PRICE.

RUSSELL S. PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date DAsar Nov. 19, 1901 Number Number LesserSept. 30, 1947

